Community View: Citizens must lobby to restrict gun access

Mar. 29, 2013

Written by

Gisela Marin

About Jessica

Jessica N. Santos, a lifelong resident of Tarrytown, died Aug. 27, 2006, the victim of a random drive-by shooting in Yonkers. The 19-year-old college student was shot when Anthony Burton, of Yonkers, who was 17, fired six shots from a moving car. Santos was the only one hit. Burton was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in 2007; he is eligible for parole in 2016.

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First and foremost, my heart, thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims of the unspeakable, heinous crime in Newtown, Conn. I pray for the families who are mourning and grieving and still trying to come to terms with what happened to their loved ones and especially their little babies. God bless those special women who selflessly died trying to protect those little angels from the rain of bullets.

The Journal News/LoHud.com Editorial Board recently hosted a panel of experts from various fields to discuss our gun culture, and the next steps after the Sandy Hook massacre. I am not an expert of any sort — I am just a grieving mother with a story to share.

Friday, Dec. 14, shock, sadness, disbelief, pain and deep heartache were some of the emotions I felt upon hearing about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I understood the immense dread and horrific panic those parents felt as they drove to the school not knowing if their child (or children) were OK or alive. I prayed for those families because I knew the immense grief and horror they would have to face in the moments, hours and days to come. I could truly identify and relate to the heartache they were and are experiencing.

'I'm sorry, your child is dead'

I still recall the fear that gripped my heart and shook me to the core when I heard that my daughter, Jessica, had been shot. As I was driven to the hospital, because I was shaking so much I could not drive, I prayed and pleaded with God for her to be OK and tried not to think of the unimaginable. I didn't expect to hear the unthinkable — "I'm sorry, your child is dead" or have to identify a lifeless body that just hours before was vibrant with life — laughing, joking and getting ready to start sophomore year in college. So yes, I can tell you firsthand, from personal experience, how the families in Newton, Conn., are feeling.

Although my daughter was not killed in a school setting, she was the innocent victim of a random drive by shooting in 2006. Most people would say she was at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I believe that Jessica had the right to be wherever she wanted or chose to be. The shooter, on the other hand, had no right to randomly shoot into a crowd and take her young, beautiful life. Just like Adam Lanza had no right to enter the elementary school were happy children and caring adults were going about their day; nor did he have the right to end his own mother's life — only to take the coward's way out and kill himself too.

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Weapon of choice

It is believed that Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, which is a civilian version of the military's M16. I ask, why does a civilian need this type of assault weapon? Why are they being sold in stores? It is said to be a popular rifle by gun owners and it also seems to be the weapon of choice by "rampage killers." This was the same weapon used in the mall shooting in Clackamas, Ore., as well as in the July movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.

It deeply grieves me that there are over 4 million NRA members who avidly voice their opinions about protecting their rights to own and carry guns, rifles, etc. I understand the NRA wants to protect those who are "legally" buying and registering guns, but that does not protect us from the mentally ill and unstable who have access to these "legal" weapons. They object to a ban on high-capacity magazines, which can dispense more than 20 rounds at a fast pace. There is no need for weapons like that in our society.

How great would it be to have millions of concerned citizens and lawmakers interested in promoting gun control to prevent or eliminate deadly shootings and acts of gun violence from happening?

After my daughter's shooting, I tried to re-establish the Westchester Chapter of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (www.nyagv.org), hoping to advocate for better gun laws and bring awareness to our communities through education and action. I hosted meetings but soon became very discouraged when no one was attending or showing interest. Sadly, people want to believe that it won't ever happen in their "quiet" community, and I pray that's the case. But as we can see, that's what the people in Newton, Conn., also believed. There is nothing like the pain of losing your child and nothing anyone says or does will ever bring comfort and it certainly does not bring your child back. You can only hope that you can do whatever is in your power so another parent doesn't ever have to feel this pain.

It is time that laws are enforced so it is not easy to obtain guns and weapons — especially at "gun shows." Legal loopholes allow guns to fall into the hands of those who should not own a weapon — criminals and the mentally ill — because there is no background check.

I'm tired of hearing that "guns don't kill people; people kill people." Well if those guns or weapons were not so easily accessible, perhaps the number of gun-related deaths would be reduced.

There is no fail-proof formula to prevent another tragedy like this from ever happening, but I hope that we can come together as concerned citizens and be part of the change that is needed.